Post-Grad Pézenas
by classyJaegar
Summary: When Eren "dropped out" of high school just before he graduated he leaves behind the town he'd known all his life and hitch-hikes to... France? There he meets a bitter bookshop owner and the all-too-perky cafe owner across the way, Levi and Hanji. Name Origins and Summer Love AU to repair the hearts and minds of my Only Human readers and fans!


Post-grads are always on edge because they are constant odds with the world to somehow prove themselves above the bar. The world takes their grade point averages and hard-earned letter marks and kicks them out into the cold like unforgiving families disowning an obedient child. The more painful thing is that everyone around them just seems to accept the fact that they'll be emotionally and financially unstable for the unforeseeable future until they understand no one's there to help them. It was no different for the infamous Titan High Trio.

The school itself had set the bar fairly higher than the rest of the world, but that only meant that standardized tests were held above their heads like guillotine blades. The school had a reputation of producing both brilliant minds and excellent soldiers who signed up for the cause on their free will. However, the Trio were rebels. You had Mikasa and Armin, both skilled heavily in theory and application of general courses. Armin was also active in extracurriculars while Mikasa hung out with her brother Eren. She was adopted into the family when her parents died in an accident when she was eight, but it was as if a missing puzzle piece was put into the proper place. Eren was neither good at academics nor after school activities. However, he excelled in empathy, trust, and other basic human skills that the average young person lacked. He was hardworking, an excellent fighter, and a fair cook when it came down to it. Even so, he never found a place for himself in regulated society. It just didn't suit him.

So, when caps went into the air in a shouting of joy, Eren was leaning against the stop sign outside of the school winking and pretending it didn't sting that he dropped out. He told everyone he dropped out to sound cool, but he was really expelled for never doing his work and showing up late all the time. It was him and Jean in the office getting snapped at, but Jean did the smart thing and dropped out before the principal could finish his sentencing. He wouldn't be labeled a failure.

"So... what are you going to do from here?" Armin asked innocently enough. Mikasa kept her same blank expression when it wasn't the curious Mona Lisa smile, watching Eren's eyes for reaction.

"Well," Eren sighed as he flicked his toothpick into the grass. "Something."

Something, as it so happened, was to hitchhike from his native land of Belgium to France. Growing up his mother spoke French and his father spoke German, so he was already gifted. Not, perhaps, as much as Mikasa whose native tongue was Japanese. What a talented, resourceful girl. He envied her. She would be waking up in a few minutes. Mikasa, ever since she was little, always woke up at dawn exactly. As the sky lightened on the horizon of the little town nestled between more bustling places he thought of Mikasa's reaction. He'd left a note on her nightstand and he'd done the same for his parents, but he couldn't have risked Mikasa's pesky habit of tailing him.

Focusing his tired, heterochromatic eyes on the blue-pink hue of the dawn Eren turned from the dusty road and headed into town. It would be a sleepy day, but people would be waking up soon enough.

Pézenas was a small town in France known for its historical charm, and it did not disappoint. Side roads wound off the beaten path to show small shops and cafes that intrigued from any angle. The walk from the hillside had taken long enough for the morning sun to drench the alleys in a beautiful, yellow glow. Light flooded certain curves in the path and illuminated details lost to the night. It was perfect.

Eren rounded the corner and saw a beautiful woman tending to her shop front. From a distance her auburn hair shone in the morning light and her eyes glimmered brightly. She had tucked her mess of hair into a pony tail and her glasses perched on her long nose just so that she wouldn't have to push them back up to the bridge of her nose every two seconds. A smile spread over her freckled cheeks as bright as the morning sun as she talked to a woman of equal beauty.

The second, a strawberry blonde with a genuine smile on her face, was shorter than the first. Her frame was slender and feminine and the cream colored blouse she was wearing suited her very much. She nodded her head sweetly to the taller brunette as she turned to return to her own shop, a bookstore across the way.

Before the boy even had a chance to compose himself Eren was caught staring. His eyes, one gold and one green, widened in shock as he fumbled over his French.

"Morning," the brunette smiled, waving a hand as she let her arm hang at her side with a watering can in hand. "Mm. I've never seen you before. What's your name?"

So forward!

"E-Eren. Eren Jaeger," he nodded, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder.

"Nice to meet you," the woman smiled, extending her slender hand. "Name's Hanji Zoe. I run this cafe behind me and the girl you were probably ogling was Petra. She and Levi run the bookshop."

Hanji was something else. Energetic, bright, and a fairly fast talker. However, she was sweet and meant well, and she could see Eren was flustered. She gave another knowing smile and jerked her head towards her shop. "I haven't officially opened the doors yet. Why don't you come in for some coffee?"

At the mention of something to drink Eren nearly jumped. Hanji could see that gleam of starvation and thirst in Eren's eyes and chuckled to herself as she held the door open for her new guest.

Inside the cafe the walls were covered in beautiful paintings and various clippings of wallpaper collaged together to make a beautiful picture of a woman enjoying a cup of espresso. Eren had to stop and admire the careful placing of paper in disbelief that someone could take pink paisley print and match it with orange stripes among a whole other symphony of colors and patterns. It was striking and just as imaginative as all the other paintings.

"Oh, you like those? Talented girl down the way named Ymir does them. The girl is her girlfriend Christa. They're absolutely perfect for each other in my opinion," Hanji laughed as she went behind the counter and prepared a French press full of freshly roasted beans. "Anything in the display case catch your eye?"

Eren suddenly looked down at the case full of cakes and pastries, soufflés and savory treats. He didn't have much money left and he had to find a place to stay. He'd have to pass.

"Haha, your hospitality is wonderful, but I'm afraid I don't have any money," Eren admitted, saddened because there was a salmon and spinach quiche that was calling his name.

"Hmm? Oh, it's on the house," Hanji smiled as she set the press on one of the tables and left to get some cups and treats. "So, what can I get you?"

"Ah! Then the salmon quiche please," he nodded, quietly setting his bag by one of the chairs at the table that Hanji had set their coffee down on.

Once the perky woman had gathered everything the two near-strangers sat at the little cafe table and shared each other's company. Eren told her of his predicament of lodgings and how he came to venture to the little French city. He told her of Mikasa and Armin, his parents and how he hadn't been a success in the ways of traditional education. He was the odd man out, ambitious but without direction. Hanji only listened quietly with her bright eyes fixed on Eren's as he spoke. She was genuinely interested, a quality few found themselves possessing.

"So what I've gathered is that you're currently homeless, broke, and unskilled," Hanji nodded through a mouthful of English muffin and jam. The way she put it really made Eren sound pathetic. However, she didn't laugh at him. She simply swallowed the bite of her breakfast and took a sip of the coffee brewed to utter perfection. "Stay here."

"What...?" Eren asked, straightening his back as he set his own cup back down.

"I live in the back of the shop here, but there's an upstairs apartment I never use. I mean, I could, but I don't really need to. You could work here in the cafe to pay your rent and that way you can learn to do something with yourself," Hanji nodded as she collected the dishes. "You can, of course, if you really have no where to go and no other prospects."

Eren was stumped for words. His mouth hung slack and his eyes bulged. He couldn't believe the perfect situation just dangling in front of his face. What luck, he thought.

"Ye-yes, I would like that very much!" Eren blurted, scampering and taking the rest of the dished to Hanji.

"Well, then. That settles it. Welcome to Pézenas, Eren Jaeger."

**A/N: Welcome back my near-and-dear Only Human Readers. It may start off with an overwhelming lack of Levi, but I promise this story is Ereri centered. And to those who think I'm planning on doing something else with Only Human, I'm sorry that I haven't posted that it is complete. Maybe one day I'll get around to fixing the names and adding some info, but for now, it's on hiatus. **

**SO! This AU is based off of a headcanon that I saw a while ago about names, origins, and nationalities. Also, what is life without coffee/bookshop AUs? It's like chicken soup for the heartbroken souls. **

**Thanks again for all my faithful readers and fans of Only Human. You helped me through a very hard time personally. I hope that my future writing will be up to par as you expect. Thanks again.**


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